This was pretty much the perfect riposte to those beginning to doubt Coventry’s credentials following a run of three defeats which had sent them sliding down the National League One table.

A response was certainly needed after the poor display at Esher a week earlier, and with willing accomplices in Fylde, Cov came up with the goods in a fast, free-running game which allowed them to show off their attacking skills to the full.

It wasn’t perfect, Cov’s early first-half play lacking some accuracy and Fylde’s noted offloading game posing a few problems.

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But Cov visibly grew in stature as the game progressed, and they finished worthy winners with eight tries to their name – the fifth reflecting just what a bit of confidence can do as loose head prop Andy Brown got on the end of a sweeping move, threw an outrageous dummy and waltzed past the last defender to go in from 15 metres to tumultuous applause.

It was a great way for second row Tom Poole to celebrate his 100 appearance, and a performance which delighted director of rugby Rowland Winter.

“We’ve taken Fylde on at their own game and beaten them well and truly,” said Winter. “We needed that after the last three weeks.

“What pleased me is that the boys played like they train and they’ve actually been able to demonstrate the work they’ve been putting in over the last weeks.

“At half-time we were ahead but we hadn’t completely got going, to be honest. We’d had two disallowed tries and got round them a couple of times without scoring, so that’s four opportunities at least that we hadn’t taken.

“That’s been the story of our season so far, but in the second half we’ve been clinical, executed every chance we have had and pulled away.

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but we’ve started playing off our scrum a little bit more and showing what our backs can do, and we scored one or two tries off first phase ball.”

Tom Poole leads Cov out to mark his 100th appearance

Cov’s side included three dual registered players from Wasps, who all made impressive debuts and figured on the score sheet – flanker Jack Willis, who was named man-of-the-match, and wingers Tom Howe and Owain James..

Added Winter: “Dual registration is something that we always said we would only go to if we had gaps in our squad and we needed people to come in and plug some holes. We’d lost a couple of back rows so Jack Willis has come in to fill that and he’s taken his opportunity really well. Equally, the two wings have shown pace and the ability to defend in the line as well, and that’s important.

“We’ve given them players for the A League, and now Wasps have returned the favour.”

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Fylde took an early lead through a Chris Briers try, Greg Smith adding the conversion., but Cov responded quickly with an unconverted try from short range for Willis and after James had been denied a score by a forward pass, their scrum forced a penalty try which Will Maisey converted for a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Cov went further ahead when James Stokes received the ball five metres inside his own half and outpaced the Fylde cover for a superb individual try which Maisey also converted.

Tom Burtonwood dived over for Fylde’s second try from a short line-out, Smith converting well, and the half ended with an exchange of penalties between Maisey and Smith to leave Cov 22-17 up.

Howe raced over in the corner for Cov’s bonus point try five minutes after the restart before Brown’s show stealer put Cov three scores clear, and further tries followed from Rob Knox, Willis and James – all converted by Maisey – with David Fairbrother pulling one back for Fylde, Smith converting.